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"Drifting clouds are floating in the sky Snow is falling down again little by little" (Chodo)
Chodo Kurita(1749-1814) was born as the 3rd son of Masanobu Gotoh, carried on a sake brewer "Bungo-ya" in Matumae-cho, Matsuyama. His real name was "Masanori", and commomly called "Sadazoh".
He married into the sake brewer, "Kado-ya" alias Kurita's family and revived "Nijou-an Hermitage" following up his adoptive father, "Yosouzaemon"(his haiku pen name was "Tenzan"). He had twice visit from Issa Kobayashi, in 1795(Kansei 7) and the next year. It had been said that "Nijou-an Hermitage" had once lied at around the place this monument stands.
Kuirita family was the greatest sake brewer in Matsuyama. Besides he owed his success in the family business of sake brewing, he did his duties of the head of town office for nearly 30 years. He had been excellent in Haikai from his youth, and his style of Haiku was elegant, sweet-tempered, gentle and plain. It is not too much to say that this Haiku on this monument fit right in Chodo's style.
In 1800(Kansei 12), he built "Koshin-an Hermitage" about 200meters away from this place to the southwest, and moved in there. After that time, he died at Mitarai Island, Hiroshima Prefecture, in 1814(Bunka 11).
The characters on this monument are the enlargement of his own handwriting.
There is Shiki's monument on the right side of this monument.
